My
primary interest is in experiencing my subjects firsthand
in the wild. I focus on painting subjects and scenes I
have experienced in the wild rather than trying to paint
animals I've only seen in captivity. On many of my field
trips I use a sea kayak or a custom made floating blind
as tools to experience the behaviors of wildlife up close.
All this extra effort pays off in the long run because
I get to see the intimate details of an animal's life
that most people never see. Its that personal experience
that inspires me to re-create an image for others to enjoy,
more than the act of painting itself.

Bart
is working on a very large painting of a Leopard inspired by
his trip to India. The painting will be the largest that he
has ever done. Bart spent a great deal of time photographing
the Leopard as the cat spent lots of time resting on a tree
branch, and finally slowly climbing to the ground. The tree
provided an interesting backdrop with its' intricate branch
structure. Bart imediately saw a potential painting in the scene
that he was capturing.